‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’: News, trailers, and everything we know so far

Posted:
Monday, April 30, 2018 3:59 PM EDT

By Lulu Chang

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Star Wars fans face a two-year gap between 2017’sStar Wars: The Last Jedi and the still-untitledEpisode IX, but everyone’sfavorite shoot-first smuggler and all-around rogue is getting his very own movie.Solo: A Star Wars Storywill explore Han Solo’s life in the years leading up to his fateful encounter withLuke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in a Mos Eisley cantina, and now the stars are sharing more about making the film as they prepare for its release.

The second “anthology” movie planned for the sci-fi franchise following 2016’sRogue One: A Star Wars Story,Solo: A Star Wars Storyfeatures two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard behind the camera after the exit of original filmmakersPhil Lord and Christopher Miller, andHail, Caesar! actor Alden Ehrenreich in the role of a young Han Solo.

Solo: A Star Wars Storyis currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 25. Here’s everything we know about it so far.

A Lucas disruption

With Solo: A Star Wars Story‘s release datejust around the corner, the cast is busy talking to the media. While speaking with the Associated Press recently, Emilia Clarke opened up about the involvement of George Lucas, as the website Winter Is Coming reported. Director Ron Howard had previously talked about how the Star Wars legend had contributed to a scene involving Han (Alden Ehrenreich), but for Clarke, it turns out his visit was less productive. With Lucas himself on set, the actress found it pretty impossible to do her job.

“I momentarily forgot how to act, say my name, function as a normal human being, especially on camera,” she said.

Funnily enough, it wasn’t the last she saw of him. Lucas is apparently a Game of Thronesfan, and he also stopped by that set not long thereafter.

“It was quite funny, ’cause I went back to shootingGame of Thronesquite quickly after finishing this, and he paid us a visit there as well, so that was kind of interesting,” she said. “‘Remember me, do you? Terrible acting? You might have forgotten.'”

The ‘making of’ featurette

We only have to wait a couple more days for Soloto make its debut, but if you’re looking for a little behind-the-scenes action, that’s available now.In the latest clip to be released by the Star Wars team, we’re treated to a host of footage that shows just how much work it takes to bring this feature to life.

Filled with interviews with the cast and crew, this new “making of” featurette also boasts a deeper look at the movie’s cinematography, makeup effects, and costumes, among other things. And with regard to the costume bit, the team apparently had to create a larger wardrobe forSolo: A Star Wars Storythan any other film in the franchise to date.

Going clip crazy

With less than a month until Solo hits theaters,Disney and Lucasfilm shifted the marketing machine into overdrive with a trio of new clips from the film that debuted online and on television.

The first clip features Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson) playing a game of Holochess — known as “Dejarik” in the Star Wars universe — onboard the Millennium Falcon.

The second clip features Han Solo’s encounter with Lando Calrissian — the same scene recently featured in a 360-degree video released by the studio — but in the more traditional format that will be shown in theaters.

Finally, a third clip that debuted during Harrelson’s appearance on late-night talk showJimmy Kimmel Live features an encounter between Han, Tobias, and Val (Thandie Newton) early in their story. The clip is followed by Kimmel’s interview with Harrelson, which involves quite a bit of complimentary commentary on Ehrenreich’s performance as Han.

George Lucas’ role

George Lucas may have sold Star Wars to Disney, but he apparently had some minor input over a scene inSolo. During a recent appearance onThe Late Show, director Ron Howard discussed Lucas’ input over a small scene when the Star Wars creator visited the set of Solo.

“We were doing a scene and he was trying to stay out of the way, but he did lean over and he said, ‘You know what Han would really do there?,'” Howard told Stephen Colbert. “I said, ‘What?’ And he told me the joke, he gave me a little joke. And I said, ‘Hey, guess what? Here’s what we’re gonna do in the next take.’ So I know when I hear a good idea.”

360 degrees of cool

In honor of Star Wars Day (May 4), Disney and Lucasfilm decided to give fans a front-row seat to one of the most iconic moments in the saga’s history: When Han Solo and Lando Calrissian gambled over ownership of the Millennium Falcon.

Not only did the studio release the scene from the film in which this moment occurs, the scene is presented in full, 360-degree video positioned at the center of the Sabacc table where Han and Lando face off.

The video is pretty fascinating for several reasons. Not only does it give you a great perspective on Han and Lando’s encounter, but it also gives you a view of how each one of the other gamblers at the table reacted to the famous wager.

Not exactly a piece of junk

So it turns out that the Millennium Falcon was quite a pretty ship before Han Solo took ownership of it.

In a new video released ahead of theSolo premiere, actor Donald Glover takes viewers on a tour of the famous ship that set a new record for theKessel Run. In the film, Glover portrays iconic scoundrel Lando Calrissian, the previous owner of the Falcon and a connoisseur of handsome capes — and that last point gets special attention in the video.

Building the backstory

A video featurette released by Disney in late April offers some perspective on why theSolo team decided to focus on the famous smuggler for the franchise’s first character-focused spinoff film.

Titled “Becoming Solo,” the video features interviews with the cast and creative team on the movie, including Howard and Solo star Ehrenreich, and includes some fresh footage from the film.

A motley crew

Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon always seem to attract an interesting crowd, but a new television spot forSolo: A Star Wars Story takes a look at some of the early days of the smuggler’s crew-gathering efforts.

Appropriately titled “Crew,” the one-minute preview provides some new footage from the film — with a particular focus on Han and his famous co-pilot, Chewbacca, as well as a few other notable scoundrels, aliens, and androids appearing in the film.

New trailer, more story

Disney and Lucasfilm released another trailer forSolo: A Star Wars Story in early April that offered significantly more footage from the film, but maybe more importantly, it provided more details about the story the film will tell about the famous smuggler.

Along with providing quite a bit of new footage, the trailer also devotes more screen time to some of the film’s supporting cast of characters, like Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover) and Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo).

A prestigious debut

The premiere of a new Star Wars movie is always a big deal, but the arrival ofSolo: A Star Wars Story will be heralded in a particularly special way: The film was selected to screen at this year’s Cannes Film Festival in France.

Solo will screen in the Official Selection program, as part of the Out of Competition slate of films screening from May 8-19. According to the official Lucasfilm announcement, director Ron Howard is expected to attend the festival along with cast members Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

A furry cameo

Just about any opportunity to see more of the Millennium Falcon’s famous copilot Chewbacca is welcomed by fans, and a promotional tie-in forSolo produced by the Denny’s restaurant chain provides just that with a television ad featuring a cameo by the popular Wookiee.

Along with providing a tour of a cosmic saloon populated by all manner of fantastic aliens, the ad also features even younger versions of Lando Calrissian and Han Solo — but as with so many Star Wars movies, it’s the aliens that steal the show.

Going international

An international trailer forSolo found its way online in February 2018, and while the preview doesn’t offer much in the way of fresh footage, it was accompanied by a new poster for the film featuring three of the movie’s most iconic elements: Han, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon.

You can watch the international trailer below.

Calling Jon Favreau …

Howard revealed another high-profile addition to the cast ofSolo in mid-February when he revealed that a “very cool and important alien character” would be voiced by celebrated actor, writer, and director Jon Favreau.

Favreau’s involvement was announced via a photo of himself, Howard, and longtime Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan posted to Twitter, which was then given some context by Howard.

A complicated childhood friend and a charming leader

Emilia Clarke admitted last spring that theSolo cast was under strict instructions to keep their lips sealed, but those restrictions have evidently been relaxed. Both Clarke and her co-star Donald Glover, at last, spilled more information about their roles in the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, giving us a chance to learn more about her mysterious character, Qi’ra, and Glover’s, the young version of Lando Calrissian.

Clarke highlighted the fact that Qi’ra is “an enigma,” but Han Solo knows her better than most. The two grew up together and were “pals” and “partners in crime,” according to the actress. She also noted that there is “the romantic side of things” and that their relationship shaped the smuggler.

“The beautiful thing about this Han Solo story is it’s highlighting all of the most brilliant aspects of Han Solo the character and characterizing those aspects in characters that he meets on his journey to becoming who he is,” Clarke said.

Another one of those people that helped shape him is Calrissian, the owner of the Millennium Falcon inSolo. To prepare, Glover met with Billy Dee Williams, the man who originally portrayed the familiar character. Williams gave him some solid advice: To “just be charming,” Glovertold EW.

Similar to Clarke, he was also excited about the evolution of a character, but in his case, particularly his own.

“By the time we meet him in Empire Strikes Back, he owns the city already,” the actor said. “So, I wanted to show the person he was before that was even possible. Like, I don’t even know if he thought that was possible at the time.”

A Star Wars guide

AldenEhrenreich got some help stepping into the role of young Han Solo, and fittingly, that assistance came from Harrison Ford. The older actor passed on the knowledge he gained from George Lucas when he first began playing the role in the original Star Wars trilogy, according toKathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. But he didn’t become overly protective of the role he made famous.

“I think being who Harrison is, there is no way he would step into the middle of this and start trying to dictate,” Kennedy told EW.

TheSolo producer said that Ford’s guidance was extremely helpful to Ehrenreich.

“He gave Alden that kind of insight which was invaluable,” she said. “There were several times in the course of making the movie where Alden would actually recount some of the things that Harrison had pointed out.”

It was a passing of the baton, it sounds like, even if it was backward.

No match for a full trailer …

The first, full-length trailer forSolo: A Star Wars Story(see above) premiered during the February 5 episode ofGood Morning America, and offered Star Wars fans the best look so far at the upcoming film, Ehrenreich’s spin on the iconic character, and the story that will unfold.

The footage also provided a glimpse of Qi’Ra, the characterGame of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke will play in the film, as well as Woody Harrelson’s character, who appears to be the orchestrator of a heist of some sort.

The debut of the trailer was accompanied by the release of four character posters for the film.

The first, super footage

Although the first full trailer forSolodebuted the day after the Super Bowl, the first footage from the film debuted in a brief teaser that aired during the first half of the big game.

Trailer en route

Although many fans expected to see the first trailer for Solo debut during the Super Bowl, a widely circulated report first indicated that the trailer for the film would actually debut the next morning, on the Monday, February 5, episode ofGood Morning America on ABC.

That didn’t rule out a teaser or brief peek at the trailer during the game, of course, which is exactly what fans got.

A smuggler’s story

Disney and Lucasfilm released the official plot synopsis forSolo in January 2018, providing the most official summary so far of what fans can expect from the film when it hits theaters in May.

“Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away in Solo: A Star Wars Story, an all-new adventure with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy,” reads the synopsis. “Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian, in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.”

While it (thankfully) doesn’t reveal much in the way of spoilers, the synopsis does offer some confirmation that Han’s criminal past will play a major role in this new (or is it old?) adventure.

Know the score

A familiar name is returning to the Star Wars family: veteran composer John Williams will pen the theme for the new film, Variety revealed.

“The present plan is that I’m writing a theme for Han Solo, andJohn Powellis going to write the score, which he’ll do brilliantly,” Williams says.

Oscar-nominated composer John Powell will take up the baton to scoreSolo:A Star Wars Story,Lucasfilmannounced in July 2017. Best known for his work on the Jason Bourne franchise and the score he created for the 2010 animated featureHow To Train Your Dragon that earned him an Academy Award nomination, Powell is just the third composer to score a live-action Star Wars movie. He joins an elite group that includes veteran, five-time Academy Award winner John Williams, who scored all eight of the episodic films in the series, andMichael Giacchino, who won an Academy Award for scoring 2009’s Up andscored last year’s Star Wars anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Powell has received praise for his innovative use oflive percussion — particularly the Indian Conga drum — in several films, beginning with 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy.

A‘Solo’Star Wars story

Ron Howard dropped a few Millennium Falcon-size news bombs on Twitter on Tuesday, October 17, about the upcoming Han Solo film. The director revealed the film had recently ended production — and just as important, Howard finally revealed the name of the film:Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Now that production has wrapped and the name is picked, the next thing to wait for is the film’s first trailer. Last year,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’sfirst trailer was released in August 2016, four months before its December 2016 release date. IfSolo follows the same trend, we should be getting our first look into Han Solo’s backstory by the end of January 2018.

Lost in translation

On Tuesday, September 26, continuing his trend of teasing fans via Twitter, director Ron Howard shared a photo of some mysterious markings, carved into a stone tablet a la hieroglyphs. Howard captioned the tweet, “Can anybody translate for me? #McQuarrie #UntitledHanSoloMovie” in an overt reference to concept artist Ralph McQuarrie, who worked extensively on the original trilogy.

Entertainment Weekly cast an educated eye on the symbols and realized that we’ve seen them before — a few times. Similar iconography is visible in some of McQuarrie’s artwork (especially in the Temple of the Blueleaf Cluster) as well as in an episode of theStar Wars: Rebels animated series, in the Temple of Lothal. Given the fact that both instances occur in temples, we predict that the symbols are somehow related to the Jedi Order.

Desperate and dangerous times

Howard kept the Han Solo movie teases and hints coming over several months in 2017. The director postedan intriguing set photo in September, with a caption that gave a few more details than his “spicey” post (see below). If anything, we’re only more curious. The image is foggy and reveals very little, and his caption was informative yet somehow still equally vague.

“Shooting a scene about desperate and dangerous times in the Galaxy,” he wrote.

Howard revealed a photo (via Twitter) from the set of the film on Wednesday, September 20, with the caption “Spicey?” The image appears to show the entrance to a mine, leading many fans to suspect that it’s the entrance to the spice mines of Kessel — one end of the famous hyperspace route used by smugglers to make illegal deliveries of spice from the mines to customers.

The veracity of Solo’s claim has long been the subject of contention among both fans and those writing Star Wars history, as the canon has occasionally differed on whether the famous smuggler really accomplished such a feat in the Millennium Falcon. Now it seems like fans might finally learn the truth.

A villainous cameo

According to That Hashtag Show, everyone’s favorite Darth (sorry, Maul fans) will make an appearance in the Han Solo prequel.

A source “close to the production” revealed that someone was on the film’s set wearing the unmistakable Darth Vader armor and cloak; we don’t know who, though, as Spencer Wilding — who portrayed the Sith Lord in the ending scene ofRogue One —vehemently denied any association with the movie. Given that Vader’s mask probably isn’t going to come off (we don’t really expect a substantial role for Vader), we don’t really care who wears the dark helmet.

Recast, not removed

We were saddened to hear that Michael K. Williams was forced to leave the project as a result of scheduling conflicts (see below). Luckily, though, it turns out his character wasn’t removed entirely — just recast.

On September 1, Howard tweeted out a picture of himself and Paul Bettany (who directed TheAvengers). It’s captioned “The Outer Rim just got a little bit wilder.”

Bettany and Howard have worked together twice before, onA Beautiful Mind andThe Da Vinci Code. We’re looking forward to seeing what kind of character Bettany will portray; the actor is known for his chameleon-like ability to inhabit different roles seamlessly.

A casualty

Williams was originally set to play a character he describes as a “warrior … with a lot of prestige,” and he had even shot all of his scenes. When Ron Howard took over, however, the project needed reshoots. That wasn’t possible for Williams, as he was already booked for the upcoming historical thrillerThe Red Sea Diving Resort.

“I would have had to be in London right now reshooting,” Williams told Vanity Fairin late August. “The only option was to cut my character from the film.”

Michael K. Williams as Freddy in HBO’s The Night Of Craig Blankenhorn/HBO

Ultimately, the role ended up being recast rather than cut. That is good news for fans because the character sounds interesting — Williams described him as a “warrior” with “a lot of prestige” — but it is a shame for the actor. Williams had hoped to fill the role in another film in the franchise. Alas.

One sweet cape

Along with chronicling the early years of Han Solo and Chewbacca, the film will also feature another famous — or perhapsinfamous — rogue from the Star Wars universe: Lando Calrissian.

After rumors began circulating that Han’s former gambling buddy and predecessor as the pilot of the Millennium Falcon would have a role in the movie,Community andAtlanta actor Donald Glover was almost immediately reported as the leading contender for the role.

The casting wasconfirmed in October 2016by Lucasfilm, which announced that Glover would play a young Lando opposite Alden Ehrenreich’s Han Solo, taking on the role that Billy Dee Williams originated inStar Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back.

Community/NBC

Community/NBC

As usual, the studio offered few hints about the context of the characters’ meeting in the movie, but did indicate that Lando would be portrayed “in his formative years as a scoundrel on the rise in the galaxy’s underworld — years before the events involving Han, Leia, and Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back and his rise to Rebel hero in Return of the Jedi.”

In the official casting announcement, former directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller also confirmed that Lando’s iconic cape would appear in the film — and that it fit Glover perfectly.

Finally, in July, Howard posted an image on Instagram that appears to offer the first, blurry look at Glover as Lando.

A post shared by RealRonHoward (@realronhoward) on Jul 18, 2017 at 2:44pm PDT

Although his iconic cape appears to be absent from the shot, that does appear to be Glover in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. It’s quite the tease for fansand has already led to some speculation about what the scene could entail.

Trouble on set?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the removal of co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller may have been the culmination of troubled interactions on set and an increasingly difficult relationship with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy. According to inside sources, Lord and Miller’s improvisational directing style irked Kennedy and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, who preferred a more traditional take on the script.

Reportedly, Lord and Miller were shooting some scenes with just three cameras; Kennedy had expected a 12-15 camera setup, which would afford more opportunities for editing. After filming moved from London to the Canary Islands, editor Chris Dickens was removed and replaced with Pietro Scalia (The Martian), andafter deciding that the directors’ work with star Alden Ehrenreich was unsatisfactory, the studio decided to hire an acting coach — an extremely unusual choice so late in production.

The move to replace Lord and Miller follows several reports of creative chafing on set for the franchise; during production for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016, screenwriter Tony Edwards was brought on to oversee massive reshoots, which clashed with director Gareth Edwards’ original vision for the movie. Even J.J. Abrams encountered some issues while filming Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, pushing back on a release date that he deemed unrealistic.

It appears that Kennedy and the rest of Lucasfilm’s leadership team occasionally have problems ceding creative control to their chosen directors — in a statement, Kennedy said “One of the things I’ve come to realize since I’ve been in this position of keepingStar Warsgoing is that, in addition to looking for somebody who can creatively have an impact, you’re really looking for leadership skills. No one steps into these big movies without being able to genuinely lead the charge with hundreds of people and [handle] the relationship with the studio. That’s a very difficult thing to do, and you don’t know [a person can do] that until you get to spend time and watch somebody operate.”

Still, sources claim that Rian Johnson’sStar Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi has gone off without a hitch, which could be a good sign going forward.

Enter Ron Howard

Celebrated filmmaker Ron Howard officially took over directing duties for Solo: A Star Wars Storyjust two days after news broke on June 20, 2017, that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were out due to creative differences.

Howard’s involvement was confirmed by Lucasfilm in a June 22 press release issued by the studio.

“At Lucasfilm, we believe the highest goal of each film is to delight, carrying forward the spirit of the saga that George Lucas began 40 years ago,” said Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy in the statement. “With that in mind, we’re thrilled to announce that Ron Howard will step in to direct the untitled Han Solo film. We have a wonderful script, an incredible cast and crew, and the absolute commitment to make a great movie. Filming will resume the 10th of July.”

Howard later offered up some comments of his own on joining the Star Wars universe via Twitter.

I&#39;m beyond grateful to add my voice to the Star Wars Universe after being a fan since 5/25/77.

Given how deep into production Solo: A Star Wars Storywas when Lord and Miller exited, the big question now involves the amount of footage Howard will keep, and how much he’ll reshoot to shape the film into something more in line with his own vision for it; reportedly, Howard said that Lord and Miller were “very supportive, very elegant” in communication. Three weeks of principal photography remained in the production schedule when he took over, with another five weeks of reshoots reportedly budgeted for the film.

Lord and Miller depart

Less than a year out from the movie’s May 2018 release date, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller exited the film, citing creative differences. The movie is still filming at Pinewood Studios in London and will be for several more weeks, with reshoots already planned for later this summer.

Lord and Miller have a distinctive style and a knack for comedy that breaks the fourth wall, which ultimately may have contributed to their removal from Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Statements from both the directorial duo and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy cited a difference of opinions about major creative elements. Lord and Miller apparently clashed with the sensibilities of screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, according to an account from The Hollywood Reporter,while Variety has reported that the directors were also in constant conflict with Kennedy and other LucasFilm creatives.

Ron Howard was initially reported to be one of the top picks to take on the project, per a report from Deadline.

Of course, this isn’t the first time that the production of a Star Wars spinoff has run into trouble at the 11th hour. Last year’s Rogue One underwent significant reshoots, and turned out to be well received by critics and fans alike. This personnel change doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the movie although it’s certainly disappointing for fans of Lord and Miller’s previous output.

Two characters revealed?

Character details from the upcoming film have been in short supply, but the die-harddetectives of MakingStarWars.nethave been hard at work trying to uncover more. (Warning: possible spoilers ahead!) The website’s sources have revealedthat there is a new character named Mother Proxima in the young Han Solo movie, likely portrayed by a puppet. Dave Chapman, the man behind the droid BB-8, is reportedly operating the character, and it is possible that Mother Proximawill be voiced by one of the other cast members.

The website also caught wind of afemale character named Val and speculated that she’ll be played by Emilia Clarke, but her character was later revealed to be Qi’ra. The reasoning behind the suspicion was that Val was said to have “top billing.” However, the film’s cast has other actresses equally worthy of top billing, including Thandie Newton.

‘Itwill be weird’

Seeing someone else in the iconic role of Han Solo is going to be strange for us all, but that’s probably truer for Harrison Ford than anyone. The actor admitted during an interview for “The Star Wars Show” that “it will be weird” to have someone else fill his shoes. That said, he confirmed that he plans to watch the film and approves of Ehrenreich’s casting.

“I’ve met the fella who’s gonnaplay the younger Han Solo,” he said, according to Metro. “Wonderful guy, very sweet, and a very goodactor.”

Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

Ford added that he’s “delighted in the choice.”

The younger actor scored the role against stiff competition, possibly including former One Direction member Harry Styles, according to reports in April. The now-solo artist’s name came up as an early contender, and when asked about the rumors onThe Graham Norton Show, his denial didn’t come across as the mostconvincing.

Their lips are sealed

Don’t expect the cast to reveal too many secrets about the film.Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, whose role in the film was confirmed last fall, indicated to the Los Angeles Daily Newsin April that they’re under strict instructions to keep the mystery alive. At the time, she wasn’t even supposed to let slip details about who her character is.

“I genuinely can’t tell you anything other than Alden is magnificent, and it’s a delight to do something on that level with really cool actors and nice people,” the actresssaid.

The project is so hush-hush that Clarkedescribes it as “even scarier” to talk about thanGame of Thrones — and that’s really saying something. It sounds like they’re going to leave us in the dark as long as they possibly can. Get used to being curious.

What’s in a name?

Disney CEO Bob Iger offered up a major revelation aboutthe famous smuggler during a speaking event at the University of Southern California in mid-March 2017. While discussing the upcoming film — still without an official title at that point — Iger said the film will explore some key moments in Han’slife, “like acquiring a certain vehicle and meeting a certain Wookiee.”

“But you’ll also discover how he got his name,” he added.

Anyone who’s been following updates on the film was likely well aware that it would cover Han’s first meeting with Chewbacca, the Wookiee that would become his co-pilot and best friend, as well as the way in which he acquired his iconic starship, theMillennium Falcon. However, the suggestionthat “Han Solo” isn’tthe character’s originalname is something entirely new for Star Wars fans to ponder — and has created a new wave of speculation regarding what this means for the character.

According to The Guardian, Iger also indicated that the film will span approximately six years of Han’s early life. The film reportedly “picks up when he was 18 years old and takes him through to when he was 24.”

A mentor reveals himself

When news broke that Woody Harrelson had joined the project, it was rumored that his character would serve as a mentor to the young Han, with some reports statingthat his character was named Garris Shrike. The actor has since dropped a few breadcrumbs for hungry fans, indicating that the early intel wasn’t totally correct. While his character will indeed be an important mentor figure for Han, the older man is actually named Beckett.

“I play a guy named Beckett, who’s kind of a criminal and a mentor to Han,” he told Jimmy Fallon during a March 22 appearance onThe Tonight Show.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t just the start of several intriguing reveals — that was it. The cast remains tight-lipped about the project, so we’re luckyHarrelson gave up even that much.

Cast and cameras rolling

Disney and Lucasfilm commemorated the start of filming on the movie February 21 with the first photo of the featured cast gathered together.

A mystery in CG

The Star Wars saga has a long history of introducing compelling characters created with practical effects andthrougha combination of performance-capture technology and digital effects, such as with actress Lupita Nyong’o bringing the alien Maz Kanata to the screen in Star Wars: The Force Awakensthrough the latter method. The story of Han Solo’s early years will apparently continue that trend with yet another computer-generated character in a key role.

According to Variety,Fleabag actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge has joined the cast of the film in an unidentified role that will reportedly play a “significant role” in the story. Described as “a CGI-driven performance,” the outlet compares Waller-Bridge’s mystery role to that ofAlan Tudyk’s part in the recent Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyas the android K-2SO.

Best known for her acclaimed Amazon Studios seriesFleabag, which she created and stars in, Waller-Bridge earned several Critics Choice Award nominations for the series and her performance in it.

The first shot

Everyone knows that Han Solo shot first in the cantina, but former co-director Chris Miller commemorated taking the first shot of the upcoming film on January 30, 2017, with an image he posted on Twitter.

As the photo indicates, the working title for the movie is “Star Wars: Red Cup” — likely a reference to the popular “Solo” brand of red, plastic party cups. Naturally, that hasn’t stopped some fans from speculating that there could be a more complicated, secret meaning to the film’s working title.

A new (but still scruffy-looking) nerf-herder

Universal Pictures

Casting an actor to play one of the most iconic Hollywood heroes of all time was no easy task, and the list of contenders for the role was reportedly narrowed down to three actors back in March 2016:Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!), Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction), and Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service). Prior to that report, the list of actors considered for the role also includedWhiplash star Miles Teller andThe Fault in Our Stars actor Ansel Elgort, among others.

After months of speculation, Ehrenreich was finally confirmed for the role in July 2016, with the announcement made during the Star Wars Celebration convention in London.

Laugh it up, fuzzball

No story about Han Solo is complete without acknowledging his Wookiee pal, Chewbacca, and the movie is expected to offer more insight on the pair’s friendship and partnership over the years. Few details have emerged about where the film will take Han and “Chewie” during their early adventures, but it’s expected that fans will finally learn the truth about why the pair have such a strong loyalty to each other.

There’s still some uncertainty about who will be under the furry costume when cameras begin rolling, as veteran Star Wars actor Peter Mayhewmightreprise the role in some form (as he’s done for every film in which Chewbacca appeared). However, it’s more likely that actorJoonas Suotamo — who served as Mayhew’s body double in The Force Awakens — will take on the majority of on-screen duties.

He’s going to kill her or begin to like her

Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa are one of the big screen’s most memorable couples, but the future Rebel leader from Alderaan certainly wasn’t the only lady to love — or hate — the famous scoundrel.

There are still quite a few mysteries surrounding the studio’s casting for the film’s female lead. In October 2016, three actresses were reported to be in the running for the coveted but unidentified role as the film’s featured actress. The trio includedSelma and Creed actress Tessa Thompson (pictured above), Power Rangers and Terra Nova actress Naomi Scott, and X-Men: First Class and Mad Max: Fury Road actress Zoe Kravitz.

Although there wasn’t any indication of the role the actresses were vying for, widespread speculation suggested the role was that of Sana Starros, anothersmugglerintroduced in Marvel Comics’Star Wars comic book series who has crossed paths with Han and often ended up on the wrong side of deals with him.

The story took an interesting turn a month later, though, whenGame of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke was officially confirmed for an unidentified role in the film.

It remains uncertain whether she landed the role that the three aforementioned actresses were vying for, or if Clarke’s character plays a different part in the film.